diff --git a/go/core/internal/controller/translator/agent/manifest_builder.go b/go/core/internal/controller/translator/agent/manifest_builder.go
index 802b7b698..f43a1a890 100644
--- a/go/core/internal/controller/translator/agent/manifest_builder.go
+++ b/go/core/internal/controller/translator/agent/manifest_builder.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func (a *adkApiTranslator) BuildManifest(
 	if podRuntime.skillsInitConfigMap != nil {
 		outputs.Manifest = append(outputs.Manifest, podRuntime.skillsInitConfigMap)
 		// Folded into the same rollout-trigger hash as the rest of the pod
-		// config — the PodSpec only names the ConfigMap, so Kubernetes
+		// config, since the PodSpec only names the ConfigMap, so Kubernetes
 		// wouldn't otherwise restart the pod when its rendered config changes.
 		skillsInitCfg = []byte(podRuntime.skillsInitConfigMap.Data[skillsinit.ConfigMapKey])
 	}
@@ -342,8 +342,7 @@ func buildPodRuntime(
 		})
 	}
 
-	envVars := append([]corev1.EnvVar{}, manifestCtx.deployment.Env...)
-	envVars = append(envVars, sharedEnv...)
+	envVars := mergeEnv(manifestCtx.deployment.Env, sharedEnv)
 
 	return &podRuntimeInputs{
 		initContainers:      initContainers,
@@ -356,6 +355,23 @@ func buildPodRuntime(
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// mergeEnv appends shared entries whose name is not already set in userEnv,
+// so a user-supplied env var always wins over a controller-injected one with
+// the same name instead of being silently overwritten by append order.
+func mergeEnv(userEnv, sharedEnv []corev1.EnvVar) []corev1.EnvVar {
+	set := make(map[string]bool, len(userEnv))
+	for _, e := range userEnv {
+		set[e.Name] = true
+	}
+	merged := append([]corev1.EnvVar{}, userEnv...)
+	for _, e := range sharedEnv {
+		if !set[e.Name] {
+			merged = append(merged, e)
+		}
+	}
+	return merged
+}
+
 func needsSRTSettings(agent v1alpha2.AgentObject, sandboxCfg *v1alpha2.SandboxConfig) bool {
 	spec := agent.GetAgentSpec()
 	if spec.Type == v1alpha2.AgentType_BYO {
diff --git a/go/core/internal/controller/translator/agent/manifest_builder_test.go b/go/core/internal/controller/translator/agent/manifest_builder_test.go
index 8c01a2af5..a07ab8943 100644
--- a/go/core/internal/controller/translator/agent/manifest_builder_test.go
+++ b/go/core/internal/controller/translator/agent/manifest_builder_test.go
@@ -5,9 +5,33 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/kagent-dev/kagent/go/api/v1alpha2"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 )
 
+func TestMergeEnv_UserValueWins(t *testing.T) {
+	userEnv := []corev1.EnvVar{{Name: "OTEL_SERVICE_NAME", Value: "my-agent"}}
+	sharedEnv := []corev1.EnvVar{
+		{Name: "OTEL_SERVICE_NAME", Value: "controller-default"},
+		{Name: "KAGENT_NAME", Value: "agent-1"},
+	}
+
+	got := mergeEnv(userEnv, sharedEnv)
+
+	want := map[string]string{
+		"OTEL_SERVICE_NAME": "my-agent",
+		"KAGENT_NAME":       "agent-1",
+	}
+	if len(got) != len(want) {
+		t.Fatalf("mergeEnv() = %v, want %d entries", got, len(want))
+	}
+	for _, e := range got {
+		if e.Value != want[e.Name] {
+			t.Errorf("mergeEnv() entry %s = %q, want %q", e.Name, e.Value, want[e.Name])
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuildSRTSettingsJSON_DefaultDenyConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	got, err := buildSRTSettingsJSON(nil)
 	if err != nil {